Sometimes You Get What You Need
by DispatchesFromDistrict7
Summary: When Katniss' business falls into trouble she leans on her new friend, the man who has become the beta for her fanfiction, unaware of who he really is. Inspired by the film You've Got Mail. Written for the 2013 Holiday Fic Exchange. Cover image created by Ro Nordmann (Ro-little-shop-of-wonders on tumblr).
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

**This is based off the following prompt written for girl-aflame: Katniss falls into the online spiral that is Tumblr/fanfiction/online gaming (anything where you can be anonymous). Little does she know who else is out there. On a side note I want to say thank you to all the wonderful people that beta for fanfiction.**

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"As always it's been great man! Thanks again for throwing this party," Finnick said as he shook Gale's hand.

"It was really wonderful," agreed Annie as she hugged Katniss goodbye.

"It's no problem. You know how I love to have all my friends over to enjoy the holiday before the last rush before Christmas," Katniss responded as she hugged Finnick and Annie moved to hug Gale. Annie and Finnick wished them a merry Christmas as they walked out the apartment's door.

Gale shut the door, flipped the deadbolt, and slid the chain into place as Katniss flopped onto the couch. "Finally," he grumbled.

Katniss threw a throw pillow in his direction. "Hey, I like having my friends and employees over for the holidays."

Gale settled the pillow back on the couch and sat down, pulling Katniss' feet onto his lap. "I know, I know. It's just I only like parties for so long. Maybe this will make it up to you?" he offered as he started massaging the arch of her left foot.

Katniss' eyes closed and she moaned, "That feels good." She was tired. Maybe this foot massage would help her sleep.

Opening her eyes, she scanned the room. Despite the number of people who had been there just an hour ago, the apartment was in good shape, largely due to the help of Annie and Finnick who stayed after to help with the dishes.

Katniss reached over and picked up her still half-full glass of wine, which she'd sat on the side table earlier. She continued to enjoy the foot massage as she swirled the wine, inhaling the bouquet before taking a sip. "Honey, this really is a good pinot noir. You did a good job picking it out."

As Gale switched feet, he admitted, "I wish I could take the credit but my boss gave those out for the holidays. I think we probably should thank his assistant."

Katniss chuckled. "Well tell Effie thank you then."

Her eyes fell onto a cellophane covered DVD set on the coffee table. "Well, since Finnick gave it to me I guess I'll finally have to watch that TV show he's a nut over."

Gale shifted her feet off his lap. "You'll have to let me know if it's any good. But you know me, Catnip, I don't watch much TV. Shall we go to bed?" He stood, offering his hand to her. Katniss grasped it and he pulled her up off the couch. They exchanged a quick peck before heading down the hall to their bedroom.

Both went about their nightly routines, first stripping out of their clothes. Katniss slipped on a black tank top and green plaid flannel pajama bottoms before scooting into the bathroom to wash her face. Gale joined her a moment later, dressed in the blue flannel pajama pants she gave him last winter. The fabric was starting to look a little ragged, so she was glad that under their tree he had a new pair to replace them. Gale splashed his face and then they grabbed their toothbrushes. They brushed their teeth in tandem, taking turns spitting into the sink.

After they both crawled into bed, Gale bussed her on the lips before going to turn off the light and settling into his own pillow. Katniss considered trying to start something more but decided it had been a long day. She was glad that her boyfriend was her best friend. They could read each other so well. She turned off her own light and settled down facing away from Gale.

Gale immediately nodded off. Not a surprise. He never had trouble falling asleep, unlike her, especially at this time a year when she missed her family. Katniss tossed for another half an hour before giving up and sneaking out of bed.

She grabbed her chenille robe, wrapping it around herself as she padded out of the bedroom. She quietly shut the door.

After making herself a cup of chamomile tea, she settled onto the couch. She stared at Finnick's gag gift to her, the complete series of _Firefly_. He had talked about the show for years. He and Annie both jokingly called themselves "browncoats" because they loved the show so much. Katniss recalled that it had something to do with how they met. Despite all of their raving, Katniss just couldn't imagine herself being interested in a space western.

She continued to consider the DVD set. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, she reached for it and tore off the wrapping. Katniss put in the first disk and settled back on the couch.

By the end of the weekend, not only had she devoured the entire series, but she'd even ran out to the store and purchased _Serenity_, which she was still not sure how she felt about. The movie that was supposed to provide closure to a series that had ended too soon. The characters just tugged at something within her. The show was wonderful because of how the ensemble worked together. The writing was smart. Characters were well rounded. And she fell in love with the romance of Zoe and Wash.

Despite how much Katniss had raved about the show to Gale, he placated her by nodding before going about his usual weekend activities of household chores, going for a long run, and catching up on his magazines.

Come Sunday evening, Katniss found that she couldn't sleep again. So she slipped out of bed and padded to the front room. She turned on her laptop and Googled: _Firefly_.

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**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	2. Chapter One

**March**

Katniss snuggled underneath the covers, wrapping the comforter around herself as she listened to Gale turn off his alarm, get out of bed, and stumble to the bathroom half-awake. He had to be at his office at 8am whereas the store didn't open until a couple hours later. Moments after hearing the shower start she nodded off again, not reawaking until Gale kissed her goodbye. She could smell the cup of coffee he put on the bedside table for her.

She sat up and reached for the cup as he told her, "I probably won't be home until after seven tonight. We have a big meeting today about a new project. Don't wait for dinner unless you want to."

Katniss nodded as she blinked the sleep from her eyes and took a sip. "Have a good day, honey," she called as he walked out of the room.

When she heard the bedroom door shut, she scrambled out of the bed and ran to the window. She watched him walk down the street to his car. Once she saw him drive off, she scurried into the living room and opened up her laptop, logging into Tumblr.

Katniss felt a little rush when she saw that she had a new message in her inbox. She clicked and saw that it was from her beta.

_Check your e-mail inbox. You'll find your corrected chapter. Your characterization of Zoe and Wash are spot on, so stop worrying about that. I really like where you are taking the story. There are a few places where I was a little confused as to the order of events. I indicated that in the document. _

_Now that fic business is out of the way, how are you doing this morning? And it is morning – as I write this at 2am. I can't sleep – again. I know you understand how that is sometimes. I'm sitting here right now typing away as my cat, Biscuit, kneads into my lap. He's actually pretty persnickety. Sometimes he loves me; other times he forgets that I exist unless the food dish is empty. Then he lets me know that I'm torturing him through starvation. Biscuit is 18lbs; he's not starving. For some reason at this time of night, it is always true love, especially if I'm trying to type._

_I understand what you mean about loving the first signs of spring. I'll never look at a dandelion quite the same way after you described it as being a sign of hope and better times to come. One of my favorite days of the year is that first 60-degree day. A day where you can remove your jacket for the first time and feel the warmth of the sun without the biting winter wind. _

_Anyway, I should try to get some sleep. Let me know if you have any questions about my comments in the document._

_-Serene-Pilot_

Katniss had stumbled upon the world of fanfiction after she had Googled _Firefly_ three months ago. She read story after story. It also led her to Tumblr where she started following authors who published works that she enjoyed. It didn't take long for her to start thinking up stories of her own. At the encouragement of a fellow fan she had met on Tumblr, Serene-Pilot, she finally put pen to paper—or to be more accurate, fingers to keyboard.

When she started writing, Serene-Pilot became her beta. The proofreader not only fixed her silly mistakes, but also gave her feedback on the content she was writing. Over the past month, they had formed a solid friendship where they talked about not only her writing and the fandom, but also shared observations from their lives. However, they were careful not to share anything too personal that would allow them to be identified. She was thoroughly enjoying her correspondence. She appreciated his sense of humor and he had a way with words that was making her a better writer.

She hit reply on the message.

_Thank you so much for getting that chapter back to me so quickly. If I have questions, I'll let you know._

_So you have a cat. He sounds a bit like the cat my sister, Primrose, had as a girl. His name was Buttercup and he was the ugliest, meanest cat you have ever met. He hated me, except when I fed him, but he loved my sister. He followed her everywhere._

_You know what occurred to me today? I hate using terms of endearment. I'd rather just call someone by his or her name. Nevertheless, I find myself calling my boyfriend, "Honey," all the time. It started as a joke when we got together, but now it's just habit. Of course, he's always called me by a nickname I detest and he knows it, but he's called me that since we were 13._

_Well I should probably get ready to head to my little store. I hope you caught a few winks last night._

_-Warrior-Woman_

Katniss looked at the clock and realized that if she didn't get a move on she'd be late opening. She hurried into the bathroom and twisted her hair on top of her head, thankful she'd washed it the day before as she jumped into the shower. After her shower, she applied a little beauty balm to her face, some mascara, and a sweep of lip balm. She pulled the rubber band out of her messy bun and brushed her hair out before braiding it into a Dutch-side braid.

Katniss walked out of the bathroom and stepped into her closet. She chose a pair of jeans and a heather grey Henley style shirt. She slipped on her socks and boots and donned her padded vest, knowing it would probably be too warm by next week to wear it again until next fall. Noticing the lateness of the time, she decided to eat breakfast once she got to the store and rushed out the door.

Fifteen minutes later, she arrived at Everdeen's Apothecary and Natural Foods just in time to let Sae, the cook in the store's little café, into the building. Her parents had started the business as a simple pharmacy and apothecary shop before she was born. They not only offered prescription drugs but also concocted non-traditional treatments such as natural-herbal supplements that helped fight nausea for pregnant women, or tinctures that helped clear the sinuses during ragweed season.

When the store first opened, her parents rented the space, but when the building went up for sale, they purchased it and expanded to add a natural foods grocery where people could buy local and organic foods. Six-months after she graduated college, Katniss took over the management of the store. Not by choice, but rather after her family passed away in a tragic car crash. A couple years later, the owners of the little café that rented space at the north end of the building retired, so she knocked down the wall and added the café to the business. They offered a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and organic meat dishes.

Katniss struggled to find the right key and dropped her set on the ground.

"Running late again, Girly?" Sae teased.

Katniss shook her head as she finally unlocked the door and held it open for Sae to walk through.

"You need to allow yourself more time in the morning," the grey-haired woman advised. "Did you take time for breakfast? It's the most important meal of the day."

Sae loved to mother hen her. "No. Just coffee."

"Well, I'll put some oatmeal on." Sae walked off in the direction of the kitchen.

Katniss heard the jingle of the bell on the front door as Beetee, her pharmacist and apothecary, entered and was quickly followed by Annie who worked as a waitress and store cashier. "Good morning, Katniss!" they called. They were right on time. She then recalled that their other waitress/cashier, Johanna, was coming in a bit later today.

Katniss wondered if her Uncle Haymitch would show. He wasn't really her uncle; it was more an honorary title as he had been her father's best friend. He came in a couple days a week to help out, mostly with her books or to give her unsolicited advice.

She heard the little cuckoo clock behind the counter chirp repeatedly indicating it was now ten, so she walked to the door and flipped the sign from "Closed" to "Open".

A few hours later, Johanna came rushing into the store swearing. "Did you see that sign across the street? Fucking corporate! Right in our back yard too!"

Katniss rolled her eyes, grateful the lunch rush had passed. Not that their regulars would be shocked. People here were used to the woman's frank language. Everything about Johanna was a little jarring at first, from her short spikey hair to her full sleeve tattoos, but it didn't take long for those who talked to her to realize it was largely a front to keep people back. She was a great waitress and many requested her section.

"What are you rambling about?" Katniss asked as she arranged a new shipment of herbal teas on the shelf.

"Did you see the fucking billboard across the street?" Johanna responded.

"No."

"Well you've gotta come look."

By now, Annie, Sae, Beetee, and Haymitch—who had decided to come in—had heard, so they all filed out of the store.

Directly across the street in an empty lot that she'd been hoping the city council would convert to a park, was a large billboard announcing, "Mellark's Coming Soon to Panem." Mellark's was a large chain store that sold organic groceries and health foods, offering a full bakery, deli, meat market, and pharmacy. They had one two towns over.

As the group stared at the sign in silence, they saw a truck carrying large machinery arrive. Mellark's was getting ready to break ground.

Katniss turned around and walked back into the store, her employees following closely behind. She marched over to the teas she had been stacking before Johanna had interrupted, and begin rearranging the display. She had suddenly decided that the current organization didn't make sense and could be better.

Annie walked up and helped her by taking and handing her boxes. "I'm sure it's going to be okay, Katniss."

"Annie is right, Katniss," Beetee agreed as he stepped behind his little counter. "We offer personal service that a chain can't."

Everyone provided sounds of agreement with Beetee's sentiment. Katniss turned to her crew, people who were not just employees but also her closest friends, and said with false bravado, "You are all right. We do provide personalized service. We know our customers and many have been coming here for years. They are loyal. I'm not worried and neither should you be."

"Hear, hear, Sweetheart!" Haymitch cheered.

"Okay, everybody. Get back to work!"

Katniss continued to worry about Mellark's for the rest of the day. She couldn't let it go; it had created a bad feeling in her gut. When the workday ended, she went home and decided to put a stew on the stove, which would be ready by the time Gale arrived home. He had said not to hold dinner, but she needed to keep her hands busy. Once the stew was simmering, she decided to take a long shower to try to relax. It helped for a little while, but by the time Gale got in after eight, she had a raging headache.

"There is some stew on the stove if you want it," Katniss offered as she lay on the couch.

"Oh. Well I ate at work. We had a dinner meeting," he answered as he walked toward their bedroom to change out of his suit.

"Oh. Okay. I'll just go put it away." Katniss got up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen.

Gale hollered, "Catnip, that stew does smell good. Can you pack some up for me to take for lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure thing." Katniss carefully spooned the stew into a few lunch containers and placed them in the fridge. She put on a teapot to boil. Once she had prepared her chamomile tea, she walked back to the living room and found Gale reading a book. She sat next to him.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"It was great. I'm excited about my new project. How was yours?" Gale asked without looking up from his book.

Katniss sighed, "Awful," which gained his attention. She rubbed her temples.

"Come here and turn around."

She did as instructed and Gale began kneading her neck. "What happened?"

The whole story of the day poured out of her. She told him about the Mellark's sign and about how hopeful her employees were that it wouldn't affect them but she had her worries.

"Well your friends are right," Gale encouraged as he continued to massage her tension away. "You do have loyal customers. Your business is personalized. Who wants to go to an impersonal chain store? People like tradition. They'd much prefer to go to a store owned by a local family as opposed to a shiny-new superstore. A perfect example of people liking business rooted in tradition is my new project."

Gale worked as an architectural engineer at a firm that redeveloped brownfield properties.

Katniss pulled away from his hands and turned back to face him. She gave him a timid smile. "Thank you. I love you. Now tell me about this new project."

Gale animatedly explained how he was working to redevelop the abandoned textile mill site on the edge of town into mixed-use commercial/residential space while keeping the architectural history of the building. He rambled on and Katniss nodded, spacing out as her worries began to take hold again.

Later that evening, once Gale was asleep, Katniss snuck out of bed. She curled up onto the couch with her laptop and finally let go of her worry as she worked on editing and posting her most recent chapter of her current fanfiction story—a tale the delved into the romance of Zoe and Wash that occurred prior to the start of the series.

Once she had published the chapter, she finished her draft of the next chapter and sent it to Serene-Pilot with an accompanying message.

_Hello Serene-Pilot,_

_Attached is chapter four for your review. I look forward to your thoughts. Things are heating up a bit in this chapter._

_I hope you are getting more sleep than I am tonight. My mind won't be still so I decided to work on my story. As you will probably see in your inbox tomorrow morning, I finished editing and published my next chapter. _

_Working on my fic is definitely better than worrying. Today was rough. It looks like a competitor is coming to town that may hurt my business. I figured there was no better way to take my mind off it than spending the night focusing on the romantic adventures of Zoe and Wash. _

_Well I should try to get some sleep._

_Your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

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**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	3. Chapter Two

**Two Mornings Later**

Katniss kissed Gale as he left for work, taking a sip of her coffee as she shut the door behind him. She made her way over to the couch, setting her drink onto the coffee table as she took a seat. She picked up her laptop and booted up, logging straight into her author e-mail account. When she had woken up that morning, she glanced at her smartphone and saw that she had a new message.

Sure enough, the new message was from Serene-Pilot.

_Hello Warrior-Woman,_

_Attached are my notes on chapter four. Watch your tenses, you flipped back and forth between present and past a few times. Considering what you are dealing with I'm not surprised you missed that before sending it to me. You mentioned that things were going to heat up but I have to say you are the master of the slow burn. I really enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to see how others react to it._

_I'm sorry to hear about your business troubles. I work in the business world too. My best advice is to figure out how to best differentiate yourself from the competition. Determine what makes your business special and make sure your customers know it. Feel free to bounce ideas off me if you need to and I'm always here if you just need an ear._

_So your boyfriend calls you by a nickname you detest – will you share it with me if I promise never to call you it? Now I'm very curious. ;) _

_It's time for me to crash. I need to get up early tomorrow to visit a new work site. I'll talk to you later._

_Best,_

_Serene-Pilot_

Katniss smiled to herself as she read the message and opened her internet browser to check Tumblr. There were no new messages, but there were some funny posts and great fanart in her dashboard. She opened up her beta's Tumblr page to send him a quick private message.

_I'm sure you are already off to a busy day visiting your new work site. Thank you for the quick return of my chapter. I'm still working on the next one. It's giving me some fits. _

_I appreciate your advice and encouragement. You are right. We just need to communicate why our services are better. _

_We agreed no personal information so there is no way I'm telling you that horrid nickname. ;)_

_-Warrior Woman_

Katniss chuckled to herself as she finished the note and clicked send. It was time to get ready for work.

The message from her beta was exactly the advice and encouragement she needed to hear. It put an extra bounce in her step as she prepared for the day. She acknowledged to herself that yes, his advice was similar to what her friends and Gale had told her, but for some reason hearing it from her beta made her believe it.

The bounce in her step remained for the rest of the morning. As a result, the little things that normally turned her mood surly, like Annie messaging that she'd be late or her produce supplier showing up without organic onions – because what can you cook that doesn't require an onion – all seemed to roll off her back. Nothing could dampen her mood.

Fortunately, Haymitch showed up again to help her with the store while she helped Johanna in the café during the lunch rush.

Katniss walked up to one of the tables in her section where a customer she didn't recognize was seated. Most of the customers were regulars who worked in the surrounding business district.

"Welcome to Everdeen's. I'm Katniss and I'll be your server today. Please let me know if I can answer any questions you have about the menu. Would you like me to take your drink order while you decide?" she rattled off automatically.

He looked up from his menu and her breath hitched. He had the prettiest blue eyes framed by dark, long lashes, which she didn't think could be possible considering his blond waves. Most women would kill for his lashes or spend a small fortune.

He flashed a bright smile. "Um, sure. Can I have an ice tea?"

"Sure, I'll be right back with it. Take your time."

Katniss walked back to the prep area and poured the ice tea. After delivering it to his table, she immediately walked away since his nose was still buried behind the menu and she needed to serve a couple tables that already had meals waiting under the warmer.

By the time she had finished delivering the food, she saw his menu had been put aside, so she walked up to take his order.

"Have you decided?"

"Actually, I'm not sure because it all looks so good," he responded. "Do you have any recommendations?" he asked with a smile which reached his eyes, the corners of which crinkled.

"Honestly I think everything is good, but are you a vegetarian or vegan?"

"I'm neither, but I'm not opposed to eating a dish that is. What do you recommend?"

"My favorite thing on the menu is the 'Let's Go Nuts' which is a sandwich with finely chopped walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts, a slice of melted jack cheese, a little mayonnaise, your choice of lettuce or sprouts, and a slice of tomato on toasted sprouted grain bread."

"That sounds delicious. I'll try that with the lettuce."

"Half or whole?"

"I'll take a whole."

"It also comes with your choice of either soup of the day or our side of the day."

"What is your side of the day?"

"French potato salad."

"That sounds good," he answered as he handed her the menu.

"It should just be a few minutes," she nodded as she turned and walked away.

Katniss handed the order over to Sae in the kitchen when she felt Johanna bump hips with her.

"The new guy is cute, isn't he?" Johanna said just loud enough for her to hear.

Katniss glanced over and saw her friend's sly look. "I don't know what you are talking about. Besides, I have Gale."

"Girl, you have a boyfriend. You're not dead. No harm in looking."

Katniss shook her head at the woman as she grabbed the order for another table and walked away. However, Johanna's comments lingered in the back of her mind, so she felt heat rise to her cheeks when she delivered the blond man's food ten minutes later. Of course, Johanna noticed because she never misses anything. Katniss could hear the woman's cackle from across the room.

When the blond had finished his meal she walked back up to the table and asked, "How was everything?"

"It was excellent. I'm glad I ordered your recommendation."

She smiled at him. "That's great. I don't recognize your face. Are you traveling for business or are you new around here?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure."

Katniss smirked. "How can you not be sure?"

"It's a little bit of both. I did just move here for work but I don't know how long I'm staying. Probably at least six months."

"Well, welcome to Panem. I do hope you come back to Everdeen's. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Just the check and I definitely plan to…come back that is," he responded

Her stomach did a little somersault at his smile. The man really was too handsome.

"I'll be back with it in a few."

"No hurry." He returned his attention to his smartphone, probably pecking away at a message to someone.

Katniss nodded as she walked away. She checked on the few remaining tables from the lunch rush before ringing up his ticket.

She walked his bill back to his table and handed it to him as he pulled out his wallet. "Let me give you my card now."

At that moment, Annie rushed into the café. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Katniss! My starter went out in my car this morning. I had to call Finnick to take care of it and catch the bus."

"It's no problem. We were able to manage," Katniss assured Annie while the blond man listened.

"Oh Katniss, I was talking to Finnick about Mellark's going in across the street and he also thinks things will be fine. Our customers will stick with us."

Katniss smiled at her friend. "I agree. We just have to differentiate ourselves from the competition so people understand why they should choose to come to Everdeen's. We can discuss it more later. Let me ring up this man's ticket."

"So are you the owner of Everdeen's?" the blond man asked.

Katniss smiled, feeling a blush come over her cheeks as she answered, "Yes. My parents started this business before I was born and now it's mine."

"Um, I've changed my mind about using my card. Let me pay in cash." He handed her a twenty.

"I'll be right back with your change."

The man shook his head. "Don't worry about, keep the change."

"Thank you!" She beamed. "Be sure to come back. What's your name so I can greet you next time?"

"Oh, it's Peeta," he mumbled as he stood up.

"It's nice to meet you, Peeta."

"Same, Katniss." He nodded before walking out of the café.

Annie walked up to her murmured, "He's kinda cute!"

Katniss glared at her friend before removing her apron. She grabbed a sandwich that Sae had waiting for her before calling out, "I'll be in the back office."

She sat down at her desk and blew out a breath before chuckling. The blond was cute and Johanna was right, there was no harm looking.

She took the first bite of her sandwich as she logged into Tumblr. She felt a little jolt of joy as she saw a few messages in her inbox. The first one was an "ask meme" which she decided she'd answer later that night. The next was a note complimenting her on chapter three of her fic. The last one was a response from Serene-Pilot from her message this morning.

_How is asking for your "horrid" nickname too personal? Will I be able to derive your real name from it? I thought only identifying personal information was off limits at this point in our internet friendship! Now I'm imagining something really horrendous. Perhaps your parents were huge Disney fans whose favorite characters were always the villains and named you Maleficent so you are stuck with "Mallie" or maybe they named you "Ruth" and so your nickname is "Baby Ruth" after the candy bar. My imagination is running wild. You really should put me out of my misery and just tell me. ;)_

_-Serene-Pilot_

Shaking her head, Katniss hit the respond button.

_Okay. Good for you for calling me out on my B.S. :P I just really hate it. I only tolerate my boyfriend calling me it because he is my best friend. Maybe someday, if we meet and I drink enough wine I'll share it with you. _

_Aren't you supposed to be working? _

She smiled to herself as she clicked send.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	4. Chapter Three

**Late May**

Katniss settled on the couch to drink her morning coffee and check her Tumblr dashboard. She looked at the clock and knew she had time to respond to a few new messages. There was one from Serene-Pilot.

_Madame, check your inbox. Lucky chapter 13 is waiting for you with my comments. I know it's odd but 13 has always been a lucky number for me. It was my number on my high school wrestling uniform and the only match I ever lost was to my older brother. Do you have a lucky number?_

_Work has been keeping me busy. My current project has made a lot of progress. Tonight I get to meet with more people in the business community of the town I'm working in. I don't mind parties. I get to meet new people and learn new things. It allows me to find out what people consider important within a community. Then I can ensure my business helps to meet those needs. _

_I have to admit that part of me wishes I could stay home tonight and read 4EverMal's new fic. She published twenty chapters at once. I'd like nothing better than to sit back on my couch with Biscuit, my iPad, and a beer and just take the night off…but as they say, there is no rest for the wicked. ;)_

-_Serene-Pilot_

Clicking respond, Katniss replied:

_Hmmmm. I've never really thought about whether or not I had a lucky number but if I had to pick one, I guess it would be 4. Whenever I have to pick a number from 1 to 10 that's always my choice. _

_Funny, I have to go to a business function tonight too. I hate them. I'm terrible at small talk and never feel like I know what to say but it's important that my boyfriend and I both go. Me for my business and him for the networking. Ugh…Networking. I just keep the following mantra in my head, "Fake it, until you make it."_

_I had to go shopping last weekend to pick out a new dress for the event. It should be noted that one way that I am definitely not like a girl is that I absolutely hate shopping. If I could order all my clothes online, I would. However, one of my friends forced me out to the mall last weekend. A least the cocktail dress is in my favorite color._

_My favorite color is green by the way, dark forest green to be specific. What is yours?_

_-Warrior-Woman_

Katniss clicked send and then navigated over to her and AO3 accounts so she could respond to a couple of reviews that came in overnight. When she was finished, she went back to scan her dashboard and saw a reply n her inbox.

_I bet you will look very pretty in the green dress. By the way, my favorite color is orange._

_-Serene-Pilot_

She scrunched her face at his message. Orange? Who likes the color orange? Clicking respond, she typed:

_Orange? Really? Like the color worn on safety vests and traffic cones?_

_-Warrior-Woman_

By lunchtime that day, she had a response in her inbox.

_LOL. Yes, orange but not safety orange. More like a soft, muted orange. Like at sunset._

_-Serene-Pilot_

She responded:

_You're right that is a pretty color._

_-Warrior Woman._

Katniss really did wish she could skip the party that evening, but considering the changes coming to Panem with increased competition for her business, she knew it wasn't wise. The Panem Chamber of Commerce's president, Plutarch Heavensbee, was hosting the affair.

That evening she dressed with care. Her new green cocktail dress was a simple sleeveless sheath dress with a v-neckline. She carefully braided her hair into sections and before twisting the plaits into a sophisticated updo. Her only adornments were gold hoop earrings and her mockingjay pin. Her daddy had given her the pin when she was a girl. It had the shape of a bird, which her father called a mockingjay, before he spun a tall tale about the mythical creature. She slipped on her practical Cole Haan sling-back black pumps and checked her appearance. Satisfied, she walked out of the bedroom and found Gale waiting for her in the living room ready to go.

"You look beautiful, Catnip! If we didn't have to be somewhere–"

Katniss playfully slapped away his arm as he reached for her. "Come on. We need to go."

When they arrived at the cocktail party, it was already in full swing. They began circulating around the room, saying hello to the people they knew and meeting the new faces.

They were visiting with the owner of a local construction company when Gale's head shot up having noticed something across the room. He must have spotted someone. Shortly thereafter, the owner of one of the electrician firms joined their little group allowing them to slip away.

"Katniss, there is someone I'd like you to meet," Gale said.

"Okay. Who?"

"It's the architect I'm working with on the textile mill redevelopment project. She just arrived a little while ago."

Her brow furrowed for a moment. Was that who he noticed? She hooked her arm with his and smiled. "I'd love to meet her."

They made their way across the room to a blonde woman who was standing a little off to herself.

"Madge," Gale called.

The woman's face brightened upon recognizing Gale. Katniss definitely hadn't met her before.

"Madge Undersee, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Katniss Everdeen. Katniss, as I told you before, Madge is the architect I'm working with on my current project. She just moved here at the beginning of the year."

"Nice to meet you, Madge. So you are the person keeping Gale late at work."

Madge blushed then sputtered, "It's nice to meet you, too." She quickly recovered and continued, "Gale has told me so much about you. I don't mean to keep him late. We just have tight deadlines on this project."

Katniss laughed. "I'm just teasing. This isn't the first project where he's been kept over."

"How are you enjoying the party?" Gale asked Madge.

"Oh, it's fine, but I don't really know anyone other than you, Effie, and the boss. And now of course Katniss."

"Gale, why don't you walk Madge around and introduce her? You both need to mingle with different people than I do anyways," Katniss offered.

"Are you sure, Catnip?"

"Yes. I'll be fine on my own. If I need you, I know where I can find you."

Gale nodded then led Madge away to meet contractors and subcontractors in Panem's construction industry. She watched them as they moved across the room. Gale must have said something funny because Madge laughed and playfully smacked at his forearm. They seemed really comfortable with each other. It was a good thing she trusted Gale, otherwise she might have been jealous.

Katniss mingled with the other small business owners that worked in the business district. Many expressed concern for Everdeen's with the opening of Mellark's in a few months' time. She assured them that Everdeen's wasn't planning to go anywhere. Her business offered personalized service, not to mention, Sae prepared the best soup and sandwiches in town.

Needing a break from defending the prospects of her business repeatedly, she excused herself from the current group of people she was visiting with and made her way over to the buffet. She picked up a plate and started to select bites of the various tidbits being offered when she bumped into a man. A handsome blond man. Peeta.

"Oh, it's you."

"Hello, Katniss. How are you doing?"

"You promised to come back to the café, but I haven't seen you," she said with a smile.

"Oh, sorry." Peeta laughed. "The last few months have been so busy. You know, getting settled and all."

"Well, you really should come by. We are just about to switch to our summer menu, which is fantastic. You have to try our watermelon salad."

"Oh, Katniss there you are!" Plutarch Heavensbee interrupted.

"Hello, Plutarch. How have you been?"

"Good, good. There is someone I wanted to introduce you to since your businesses are similar, but I see you've already met Peeta Mellark?"

Her jaw dropped slightly and she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Her eyes bounced from Plutarch to Peeta and back to Plutarch. Plutarch enjoyed "colorful" gatherings, but she refused to add to the night's color by overreacting. Katniss forced a tight smile and then said, "Yes, Peeta ate in the café a while back. I was just telling him that he should come back as we are switching to the summer menu."

"Good, good. I must move along – I need to find Cressida. You two have fun talking about the health food business." Plutarch walked off and shouted above the crowd at some other poor individual.

Katniss turned to Peeta and hissed, "You lied to me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You kept your name from me when you visited my store."

"That's not lying."

"Semantics. It's a lie of omission."

"I could tell that day, you wouldn't have been happy to meet me," he answered simply as he picked mushrooms off the top of his mini-quiche.

"Are you really picking off the shitake's on that quiche? Are you five?"

"I hate mushrooms."

"Do you _not_ understand all the healing properties in shitake mushrooms? And you dare to say you are in the health food business?"

"You know lady, you really are a piece of work! Aren't you?" he snapped.

Katniss huffed, silenced by his hostility. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and stomped off to search for Gale. He was off in the corner visiting with Madge. She joined them and grabbed his scotch, downing it in one gulp.

"Are you alright, Catnip?"

"Gale, you would not believe the nerve of the guy I was just talking to. Peeta Mellark. Of Mellark's." She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Catnip, do you want to go?"

"No. I won't let him chase me off. I should also talk to a few more people. Heck! These are my people. He's the newcomer here."

Gale smiled his approval as she turned around and began to work the room. As she had told her beta this morning, she hated small talk and chitchat but she would fake it to save her business. She would not allow anyone within Panem's small business community to see anything besides confidence from her. She had been around in this community long enough to know that when others smelled fear, the sharks started circling. Lines of credit at the bank would begin to dry up. Others would make low-ball offers to buy property. She refused to let that happen. The party had now become an arena and she was determined to be the victor.

Katniss and Gale returned home shortly after ten. He showered and immediately crashed but she was too wound up. She found herself on the couch working on the next chapter of her fic until well after midnight, writing and revising chapter fourteen until she felt it was ready for another's eyes. She drafted her e-mail to Serene-Pilot with the chapter attached and hit send when she noticed he was online in G-chat. They had never chatted live before. Taking a chance, she sent him an invitation.

_Serene-Pilot: Hello! How was your evening? Did you survive the party?_

_Warrior-Woman: Better now than a few hours ago. _

_Warrior-Woman: I did survive – barely._

_Serene-Pilot: Was it that bad?_

_Warrior-Woman: Not at first, but I ran into the man who is my business nemesis. I froze. He said something so hostile that it took my breath. I didn't know how to respond to him so I walked away. Of course, afterward I could think of a thousand comebacks, but at the time, I was just shell-shocked._

_Serene-Pilot: I wish I had that problem. I'm good at responding to people and keeping the upper hand but that also means that I sometimes say things I regret. I can be accidentally very cruel, in a way I never normally would be if I wasn't in the heat of the moment and I had just taken the time to think before I spoke. I'm ashamed to say that I did that tonight. I felt terrible afterwards. Especially since before we started arguing she seemed like a very nice woman that I would have liked to get to know better._

_Warrior-Woman: For once, I just wish I could react as you do. I came home and lost myself in writing for a couple hours. That helped calm me down._

_Serene-Pilot: Writing is such a good outlet. As you know, I've never written fanfiction myself, but I enjoy betaing. I like helping others refine their stories. _

_Serene-Pilot: When I need to lose myself, I draw or paint. That's what I did when I came home to cool down. _

_Warrior-Woman: Have you ever drawn any fanart?_

_Serene-Pilot: Yes, but I've never shared it. The truth is I've never really shown anyone my work since I was a boy._

_Warrior-Woman: Well, I'd love to see it._

_Serene-Pilot: Maybe I'll show you one day._

_Warrior-Woman: I just looked at the time. I really should call it a night._

_Serene-Pilot: Me too. Biscuit has been bugging me for an hour wanting me to go to bed. Darn demanding cat._

_Warrior-Woman: Scratch his head for me. Night._

_Serene-Pilot: Good night to you too._

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Three Months Later**

Katniss said goodbye to a regular customer as she walked out the door who had come by to pick up a loaf of Ezekiel bread and a box of raspberry and rosehip tea, leaving the store empty except for Johanna, Sae, Beetee, and herself. It was two in the afternoon, the time of day when they were usually slow, but not normally _this_ slow.

Mellark's had been open for three weeks. Katniss strolled to the front of the store and looked out the front window. The new store across the street had a busy parking lot. In the last few weeks they still saw the regulars who ate at the café, picked up groceries, or medicines, but the people who only dropped by every once in a while, she hasn't seen them at all.

She could tell that her friends were worried. Tips were down in the café. Beetee had transferred a few prescriptions. Katniss had overheard her staff as they tried to whisper their worries between themselves in the corners of the store.

It was time to give a pep talk and now was as good a time as any to give it. Beetee was restocking vitamin supplements and Johanna and Sae were off talking in the kitchen. They'd easily hear if anyone entered the store due to the bell on the handle.

"Hey, everybody! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and meet me in the café in five minutes!" she called.

Katniss went back to her office and grabbed a white board that she had stuck in the corner and a marker. Then she sauntered over to the café and prepared herself a mug of jasmine green tea before taking a seat at one of the empty tables. Beetee, Johanna, and Sae joined her a few minutes later.

"Okay! I just want to address the elephant in the room. You don't need to worry about how slow it is right now. We _will _be fine."

Johanna tried to interrupt, "But–"

Katniss held up a hand to stop her. "Things are only slow at the moment because of the novelty of the new store. People will soon remember what we offer them. We offer them personalized service!"

"But, some of their prices are lower," Beetee rebutted.

Katniss agreed, "Yes, their prices may be slightly lower, but we offer them more. We provide value because we are willing to go the extra mile to meet their needs. People will remember that." She gathered a breath then asked the group, "How do we add more value in what we do?"

"I'll cook meals to order," Sae offered. "If a meat dish on the menu needs to be vegetarian or vegan, they need only ask and I'll adjust the recipe. Mellark's only has a deli with a few self-service tables – they don't make things to order unless you provide plenty of notice."

"Yes!" Katniss picked up her marker and wrote, "_Meals made to order"_ on the white board. "What else?"

"I consult with customers who desire naturopathic remedies to understand not only the main issue they want to address but to gain understanding of any underlying issues to ensure we provide them the best natural solution to their problem," Beetee suggested.

"Great one!" Katniss wrote down, "_Provides consultation on naturopathic medicine_."

"We'll work with our suppliers to special order products customers are looking for," Johanna added.

"Awesome." Katniss wrote, "_Special orders to meet customer's needs"_.

"We supply products made and grown locally whenever possible," said Sae.

Ideas as to why Everdeen's was special continued to roll off her friends' tongues. Katniss wrote each one of them down. She felt their optimism growing, which was necessary if they were going to survive this slow patch.

"This is a great list. I'm hanging this in our break room as a reminder. Meanwhile, remember these when you talk to customers. This is the value we can communicate so they realize that Everdeen's is where they want to shop and eat." The bell ringed. "Well, we better get back to it. We have a customer."

Katniss walked the board to the break room and carefully hung it. When she came back out into the store, she saw her employees laughing. You could sense their renewed optimism. She just wished she felt the same.

That night she found herself taking up Serene-Pilot's offer to vent. She had tried to talk about it with Gale, but he brushed off her concerns when he came home that night. He had worked late again and he was obviously tired. At least Effie, the firm's executive assistant, had given her a ring to warn that Gale was going to be late. It had been considerate of him to ask her to call. Katniss just wished he'd been willing to talk.

She opened up her e-mail and saw that Serene-Pilot was not online so she composed an e-mail.

_Good Evening Serene-Pilot,_

_I'm taking you up on your offer of lending an ear. I hope you don't regret it. ;)_

_The new competitor to my store opened and my business has slowed considerably. I could tell that my staff was growing increasingly worried today so I held an impromptu meeting with those working so I could encourage them and show them our value. We developed a list of why our store is different from the competition. Points we can remember as we talk to customers, ensuring we communicate this value. It was exactly what they needed to hear. Afterward, conversations turned from hushed whispers to friendly banter. I just wish someone could give me the same pep talk because I am starting to worry._

_This store was my parent's dream and I feel like if I let it fail I'll have failed them. It's really all I have left of them. I've never told you this, but I took over my parent's store shortly after college, which I never planned to do. I always figured my sister, who from the time she was a little girl followed my mother around as she prepared ointments and tinctures, would eventually take over. Then on a cold winter night when it was very icy, a car driving too fast lost control and hit my parents' car, killing my father and Prim instantly. My mother came to consciousness a few days later, but after she learned about Daddy and Prim, she went to sleep and never woke again. The doctors said a clot broke free and caused an embolism but I sometimes think that she died of a broken heart. That happened ten years ago._

_This heavy feeling is just settling over my heart right now. I know they say that business is business but for me it's also very personal._

_Thank you for listening. I should be getting you chapter 6 in another couple of days._

_Your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

She clicked send. Katniss powered down her computer and went to bed, finally able to rest because she had given voice to her feelings.

The following morning she saw she had a reply in her inbox. She smiled as she read the message. It provided the exact amount of practicality and encouragement that she needed at that moment to hear.

_Dear Warrior-Woman,_

_You amaze me with your strength. I can't imagine going through what you have gone through and surviving emotionally intact. _

_This next thing I'm going to say you are probably not going to want to hear. For your competition it is JUST business. They don't care about your personal situation at all. They probably have to answer to stockholders and investors, so they must meet their planned profit targets. As such, I think what you did for your employees showed how strong a manager and leader you really are. I know from our communications that you consider them friends. You handled the situation perfectly. They now can remember all the reasons your business has worth to customers and can articulate that value._

_Please remember that you are a woman of incredible strength and you can lead your business and employees through whatever needs to happen._

_I look forward to your next chapter._

_Your cheerleader,_

_Serene-Pilot_

Over the next several weeks, business remained slow. Haymitch came in twice a week to monitor the books and he seemed to becoming exceedingly grim about their current sales numbers. He was careful to hide it from everyone else, which she appreciated. However, by the end of eight weeks after Mellark's grand opening, she started to notice that he'd always take a nip off his flask before he opened their account books on the computer.

Katniss was sleeping less and less at night. On a positive note, her new story, which explored an alternative universe where events deviated slightly from the movie _Serenity,_ was making steady progress. She was often up half the night writing. She had to add concealer to her morning regimen to cover up the dark circles under her eyes.

After one particularly awful day, Katniss hid out in her office. Haymitch had showed her that they had barely broke even for the month and if the current trend continued, it wouldn't be long before Everdeen's was operating in the red. She spent the afternoon avoiding the situation by distracting herself on Tumblr. After seeing a reblog of a piece of fanart from Serene-Pilot, she decided to send him a private message.

_Today, I received the news that we barely broke even for the month. If things continue as they are, we very well may be in the red soon. The competition will drive me out of business. We've communicated our value – but the only ones who hear are our already very loyal customers. We've advertised sales and offered coupons. We've reached out to local businesses offering new services like catered lunches. I don't know what else to do._

_-Warrior-Woman_

A couple hours later, she had a response.

_I think it's time you live up to your name. It's time to go to war. You've played very nice until this point, but maybe you need to remove the gloves so to speak. Perhaps you should consider some sort of public relations strategy that will drum up support for your business versus the competition. _

_-Serene-Pilot_

It was sound advice. It was time to play dirty. Now she just needed to figure out how to do that exactly.

The next weekend was the one Saturday she took off a month. Haymitch always covered for her. Annie was off too, as she and Finnick had convinced her to go with them to the local ComicCon. They'd even talked her into cosplaying. She dressed as Zoe Washburn in black pants, grey shirt, and brown leather vest. She slung a costume gunslinger's belt across her hips. The night before she'd tightly braided her hair in several braids, which she wound on her head. It provided the desired results of wavy dark hair. When she came out of the bedroom dressed in costume, Gale laughed at her but she didn't care. She'd nailed Zoe's look.

When Finnick and Annie picked her up, they were equally well dressed. Annie was Kaylee, wearing flip-flops, dark khaki coveralls, and a blue silk blouse with a mandarin collar hanging open. She carried a little bamboo parasol. Finnick was dressed as Simon in black slacks, a nice silk vest, and white button up shirt. He'd even gone to the extra step of temporarily dying his naturally bronze hair brown.

Katniss had never gone to a ComicCon before. The actress who played Kaylee was going to attend and she hoped they'd be able to meet her.

When they arrived, the sheer size of the crowd of people overwhelmed her. Many were just dressed in jeans and geeky t-shirts proclaiming their love of certain games, shows, or books. Others were dressed as she was – favorite characters. She saw Wonder Women, Batmen, Lokis, Stormtroopers, and Gandalfs.

Finnick advised that they just take it a booth at a time. They made their way around the convention floor. Katniss bought a couple t-shirts. When it was time, they stood in line for an hour just to meet and greet with the actress who had starred as Kaylee, who seemed just as sweet in person as her character had been on the show.

As they were walking away from the meet and greet, Katniss was still gushing over the whole experience to Finnick and Annie who were agreeing wholeheartedly, when she walked into someone who had stopped in the middle of the aisle.

"Oh, sorry," Katniss apologized.

As the man turned around, Finnick joked, "Zoe, it looks like you found Wash." The man she bumped into was wearing brown coveralls, a Hawaiian shirt, and a utility vest.

"It's no problem. Hello, Katniss. I didn't know you like _Firefly_." Peeta observed.

"Why would you?" Katniss retorted.

"Finnick, this is Peeta Mellark of Mellark's," Annie informed.

Taken aback, Finnick mouthed a silent, "Oh."

"I guess I wouldn't. I love the show, myself. Wash is my favorite. I really like the dynamic he has with Zoe."

Annie and Finnick quietly watch their exchange as Katniss bit her lip before muttering, "Me too." She then turned to her friends, searching for help.

Finnick rescued her. "Isn't the line up to meet the guy who played Khal Drogo starting soon? We should go!"

Katniss nodded her head and mumbled, "Goodbye, Peeta," as they made their escape.

"Katniss, are you okay?" Annie asked.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Let's go get a bite to eat," Finnick suggested.

After getting hotdogs, burgers, and fries from the food court the three sat down. Knowing that Annie wouldn't gossip with her co-workers, Katniss confessed that the business was in trouble.

"I'm ready to fight dirty. I'm just not sure how to go about doing it. A friend suggested creating some sort of public relations stunt that would draw people away from Mellark's and toward Everdeen's, but I'm not sure how to do it," she admitted.

The three sat eating their meals in silence as they thought about the situation. Katniss noticed that Annie's eyes kept darting between her and Finnick.

"Annie, what are you thinking?"

"I have an idea. Finnick is a freelance writer. Maybe he could write an op-ed piece for the local newspaper," Annie answered.

Finnick jumped in, "Darling, that's brilliant! I could write about the importance of supporting local business and all that Everdeen's provides to the community and how this chain, Mellark's, threatens great small businesses like yours from existing. Once you are gone, what's to keep Mellark's from offering the same products and services they currently do…oh this is good."

"Finnick, you would do this for me?" Katniss asked.

"Of course."

Katniss stood up and ran around the table, pulling her two friends into a hug. "Thank you!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	6. Chapter Five

Finnick had called his contacts at the Panem Times and managed to get his piece into the Sunday edition when circulation was highest. Katniss had awoken Sunday morning to Gale handing her the paper and a cup of coffee, both of which she enjoyed while lazing in bed.

Finnick's editorial was beautifully written, wrapping small town practicality with feelings of tradition and nostalgia. Her greatest hope was that the article would steer customers back to Everdeen's. While she expected a positive response, she couldn't have predicted the scale.

By Tuesday, there were several wonderfully written letters to the editor from local supporters. Katniss chose to ignore the rebuttal letters, including one drafted by Mellark's that also appeared. On Wednesday when she showed up to the store, she saw that a protest had been organized in front of Mellark's. She chuckled when she spotted Johanna with a megaphone, who she later learned helped organize the event through a Facebook page she'd created to support her store.

Throughout the week, many new faces dropped into the store to check out their offerings. It filled her with hope that this really might work.

On Thursday night, after Gale had gone to bed, she logged in to her e-mail and saw that Serene-Pilot was online.

_Warrior-Woman: Hello! How is your week going?_

_Serene-Pilot: It's good. I'm dealing with some pain in the ass work stuff but nothing I won't be able to handle. You?_

_Warrior-Woman: This week is going great! I followed your advice and removed the gloves. I've seen more new customers this week than I've seen in months. Thank you so much._

_Serene-Pilot: I knew you could do it! Good for you. How is the next chapter coming along?_

_Warrior-Woman: I'm struggling with the Mal/Inara subplot but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Sometimes I just need to think about it for a bit. The perfect solution will probably hit me at a time where it's impossible to write down, like when I'm driving or in the shower. _

_Serene-Pilot: Maybe you should get some grease crayons. Then you can write notes on your shower walls. I also figure out solutions while driving. I've on more than one occasion recorded dictation of ideas into my cellphone. Don't worry, I use hands-free._

_Warrior-Woman: The grease crayon idea sounds brilliant except for the thought of having to scrub down the walls afterwards!_

There was an unusually long pause. Maybe he had to run to the bathroom or something.

_Serene-Pilot: Would you like to meet?_

Now it was her turn to pause.

They had learned a while back that they lived in the same district. They didn't know exactly which town each other lived in, but they knew that they were within an hour or so of each other. Katniss had to consider whether she was ready to take that step. He was someone she had met over the internet. However, he'd become a good friend and confidant.

_Warrior-Woman: I would like that very much._

_Serene-Pilot: Are you free to meet Tuesday evening at 7:00pm for coffee or something?_

_Warrior-Woman: That would work. Can you come to Panem?_

_Serene-Pilot: Yes. _

_Warrior-Woman: Why don't you meet me at The Chocolate Bar, which serves great espresso and has an amazing selection of desserts? Do you need the address?_

_Serene-Pilot: I'll just Google it! How will I know you?_

Katniss thought about it for a moment before answering.

_Warrior-Woman: The place isn't that big. Look for me at a two-person table. On the table will be a DVD set of the Firefly and a yellow dandelion._

_Serene-Pilot: I look forward to it. Unfortunately, I need to go. If you need help with anything on your current chapter send me a note._

_Warrior-Woman: Will do. Have a nice evening._

_Serene-Pilot: You too._

The rest of the week flew by due to the attention she had received from the Sunday editorial. On Friday, the local television news station interviewed her. When she watched the story repeat during the 11 o'clock news that night, she saw that they had also interviewed Peeta. His interview had been perfectly edited to capture a sound bite that showed him in the worst possible light, which made her laugh. She didn't mind bias when it worked in her favor.

The next day, her little store experienced the busiest Saturday that they'd seen in months. The staff was running from the moment they opened until close. She had to call Johanna in on her day off to help. Sunday was full of errands that she hadn't been able to get to during the week because of the increased business and publicity. Monday was much of the same, managing weekly supplier shipments and an incredibly crowded lunch rush full of new customers checking out the offerings of the café.

Before Katniss knew it, she was off work on Tuesday. Gale was working late again, so she didn't need to worry about him. She rushed home and ate a bowl of reheated soup of dinner, before jumping in the shower. She unwound her braid and ran a brush through her hair, deciding to leave it loose. She slipped on a pair of skinny jeans, a lightweight forest green sweater, and her boots. After grabbing _Firefly_ and a small bud vase holding a dandelion that she'd picked earlier in the day, she ran out the door. She wanted to get there a few minutes early so she could calm her nerves.

Katniss entered The Chocolate Bar and found a little table for two. A server came by and she ordered a decaf cappuccino. Looking at her phone, she saw it was 7:25. She placed her DVD set on the table and positioned the little bud vase with the dandelion on the edge so it could be seen from the entrance. Considering it was mid-October, she realized that it was probably one of the last of the season, as the frost would soon set in.

Her cappuccino arrived and she took a sip. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was 7:33. He should be here any moment. She sat back and waited, and waited some more. The little restaurant was filling up with people dropping by for after dinner coffee and dessert. At 7:55, a man asked if he could use the other chair at her table. She told him no, she was waiting on someone. At 8:01, she ordered a second decaf cappuccino. At 8:24, with a shaky hand she picked up her copy of _Firefly,_ preparing to place it back into her purse.

"Well, if it isn't Katniss Everdeen."

She looked up and saw Peeta Mellark pull out the chair in front of her and plop himself down. Her table's extra chair was only open seat in the house.

"I'm waiting for someone. You can't sit there."

"Really. It looks like you just finished your coffee and were getting ready to leave."

"I was. He's late. Something must have detained him." She shrugged. "But he could still be here any moment and if you're sitting here he won't find me so please move."

Peeta sighed. "Okay." He stood and took the chair at the table immediately next to her, which had just been vacated.

"Do you really have to sit there?" she huffed.

"Well, yes. It's the only available table."

At that moment, a server arrived to take his order for a double Americano. Once the server walked away, Peeta looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"How is it that someone wouldn't know who you are if they are meeting you? Now wait a minute. Is this one of those internet dates from or something?"

"No. As you know, I have a boyfriend. I'm meeting a friend."

"Wouldn't a friend know who you are?"

"Well, I did meet him on the internet," she mumbled.

"So it is an internet date!"

"No it isn't. This is a friend. Someone with whom I share a common interest. We've just never met in person before."

"How do you know the guy isn't some crazy living in his parent's basement?"

"Because he's supportive and has a great business brain. He lends an ear when I need to work through problems and he's helped me become a better person and a better writer." Katniss shook her head. "Why am I justifying myself to you? I don't need to. I imagine that considering your current lifestyle, where you go from town to town building your stores, you can't understand anything beyond shallow relationships. Especially considering a calculator has obviously replaced your heart."

Peeta pulled out his wallet and threw a five-dollar bill on the table to cover the coffee he had just order. "Have a good night, Katniss."

She watched as he quietly walked through the little restaurant and out the door. When she realized she was crying, she wiped at her cheeks. She stuffed the DVD set back into her purse and paid her bill. On the way out of the restaurant, she dropped the dandelion into the trash.

When she arrived home, she immediately opened her laptop hoping to find an e-mail or private message that explained Serene-Pilot's absence. There was nothing.

Katniss composed her message:

_Dear Serene-Pilot,_

_I waited for you tonight. For over an hour. I'm sure you have a good reason for not showing. I hope that nothing is wrong. _

_While I was waiting for you, my nemesis, the gentleman who manages my business' competition, showed up. And for once, I knew exactly what I wanted to say to him. I was unnecessarily cruel to him, which felt good for about 30 seconds, and then the guilt set in. I feel just horrible. You are right that having the ability to say instantly the perfect cutting response is not a gift. _

_Please write back soon to alleviate my worry._

_Still your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

The next morning while drinking her morning coffee, she read his reply.

_Dear Warrior-Woman,_

_I'm so sorry I did not show last night. Please know that I had a good reason, which I can't explain. _

_What I feel most bad about is that while you waited to meet someone you consider a friend, someone who you could trust, you instead encountered someone else. I'm sure he deserved every word that you said to him, even if it felt cruel. _

_Please know that if I could have been there, I would have._

_Still very much your friend,_

_Serene-Pilot_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	7. Chapter Six

Despite the publicity from Finnick's editorial and the new customers who had visited the store in October, by the end of the first week of November business had slowed back down to a normal pace. The number of customers that came through the door steadied to a flow similar to before the opening of Mellark's. Katniss chose to ignore the facts that she had to place fewer supply orders and that the shelves didn't need to be restocked as often.

The week after Thanksgiving, Haymitch came to her. "Sweetheart, we need to talk."

She looked at his face and knew. "Let's go back to my office."

He followed her to the back of the store into the cramped little supply closet that she had converted into an office years before. She took a seat at her desk as he sat in the other chair.

Haymitch took a swig from his flask.

"Please stop stalling. Rip off the Band-Aid already."

"While the number of customers making purchases has steadied to a rate similar to before Mellark's opened, the average of the total purchases in their market baskets has declined. In addition, while the café has increased business, the sales we lost in the pharmacy from prescription transfers have not come back. The café was always a break-even operation, and the pharmacy was our profit center. Long story short, sales still suck. The publicity delayed things, but I expect that we'll be operating in the red by mid-January. It's time for you to consider options."

Katniss sat there, starring at Haymitch as he ticked off the obvious options. Everdeen's already operated with the minimum staff required. To lay someone off would mean that she'd have to work every day and someone would have to be paid overtime. She could downsize. Perhaps lease the café to someone else, but often people dropped by for lunch and picked up incidentals in the store, so closing the café may further drive down sales. Closing was a last resort, but still an option.

"Thank you, Haymitch. You've given me a lot to consider. Can you close the door on your way out?"

He stood and opened the door, turning back to face her once more. "Sweetheart, no matter what, it will be alright. We will all be okay and so will you." He exited, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Katniss sat frozen in her chair, not moving until a long time later when her phone rang. After she finished her call with one of her produce suppliers, she turned to her laptop and opened her author e-mail account to draft a message.

_Hello Serene-Pilot,_

_I hope your day is going better than mine is. Despite our best efforts and the publicity, I'm probably going to have to make some tough decisions soon. Sales and profits are still down. All of our efforts didn't matter._

_I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do. I really can't reduce staffing; we already work on a skeleton crew where my Uncle Haymitch helps so I can have some time off. Perhaps I'll lease out the café since we breakeven there. If I do that, I could probably move a couple of my staff to half time but that won't be enough for them to live. They will have to look for other work. Also, the café brings in store business, if I shut it down sales will decrease to an unsupportable point. Many pick up groceries during their lunch hour. Lastly, I could close the store._

_I feel like such a failure right now. My parents would be so disappointed with me._

_-Warrior-Woman_

After sending the message, Katniss shut down her computer, grabbed her purse, and exited her office.

"Haymitch?" she called out.

"Yes, Sweetheart? I'm by the register."

"Can you handle things for the rest of today and close up?"

"Sure thing."

"Thanks. I'll see you all tomorrow," Katniss hollered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Once home, she made herself a pot of oolong tea and laid her laptop onto the dining room table, having decided to use writing to relax. She opened a blank document to start the next chapter of her current story, only to have her mind draw a blank. She referred to her outline, then went back to the document and continued to stare. No words were forthcoming. She was blocked. She tried writing a few drabbles. Again, she couldn't get past the first sentence. Her brain also kept straying to thoughts about the store. Finally giving up, she turned to Tumblr to escape, scrolling through twelve hours' worth of posts.

A new message popped into her Tumblr inbox. It was one sentence.

_Check your e-mail._

_-Serene-Pilot._

She switched over to her e-mail and opened the message he'd sent.

_Dear Warrior-Woman,_

_I am truly sorry that you are going through this rough time. But you need to realize one simple fact. You are not a failure. I don't think your parents would think you were one either. You put your everything into your store and you fought valiantly for it. Whatever decision you make going forward will be the right one, and if your parents were alive and simply retired, they would say the same thing._

_Now, I want to consider what I'm about to say. The store was your parent's dream, correct? However, it wasn't your dream. Did they ever expect you to be the one to keep it going? Or, did they want you to pursue your own passion? If you could go do something else, something that inspires you, what would that be?_

_Please think about all of this as you decide your path forward._

_I'll be here if you need me._

_-Serene-Pilot_

Her beta's message made her uncomfortable, to the point where she had to get out of the house. She quickly changed into yoga pants, a sweatshirt, and her running shoes, before exiting her apartment to jog off her anxiety. It was dusk, so she headed toward a park nearby with a well-lit running trail. There would be plenty of runners who had just left work, so she wasn't worried about running by herself.

She kept up a good pace for about twenty minutes when she realized someone else was jogging up beside her.

"Good evening, Katniss."

Upon hearing his greeting, she grimaced. It was just her luck that she had to run into him tonight of all nights. She picked up her pace and Peeta met it. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just trying to run."

"Yeah. Me too. I hate it, but it's efficient."

"Well I don't but it helps me think. If you don't mind?"

"I don't. I'm just running too. Apparently in the same direction."

Katniss was starting to run out of breath from trying to keep her pace and talking, but he just kept going…and talking.

"I rewatched all of _Firefly_ last weekend. That show really was brilliant. It ended way too soon."

Katniss grunted in agreement then slowed to a walk to cool down. She needed to be heading home soon and if she managed to ditch Peeta all the better. Peeta jogged back to her and started walking at her side.

"It wasn't a bad way to spend Thanksgiving. I cooked myself a little Cornish game hen and a sweet potato," Peeta prattled.

"Don't you have a family? Wasn't Mellark's originally called Mellark and Son's?" Katniss asked.

"Oh, yes. I do, but I decided to skip Thanksgiving this year. It would have been nice to see Pops and my brothers, but I didn't want to deal with my mother." The way he said the last part quietly did not go unnoticed.

"How come?" she inquired.

"I never quite measure up for her. But you don't want to hear that sad story. Did you have a nice holiday?"

"Yes. Gale and I had Annie and Finnick, Johanna, and Uncle Haymitch over."

"That's nice." Peeta smiled tightly at her. Something was obviously bothering him.

"Peeta, I need to be heading home. Good night." She then turned and walked off; reminding herself that she didn't care about him or anything that may be worrying him.

Two days later, she still hadn't made a decision as to what to do with the store, but she had considered her beta's e-mail. She needed to determine what _she_ wanted before making a decision.

That night she accompanied Gale to a party celebrating the finish of the textile mill redevelopment project. She stuck close to Gale's side during the party as everyone walked up to congratulate him. Katniss watched him as he interacted with the architect on the team, Madge, again noticing their ease and comfort with each other.

As she watched him converse with the woman, sharing little inside jokes tied to the project, Katniss realized something. Gale's eyes sparkled when he spoke to Madge, in a way that they never had when he looked at her. Moreover, Katniss realized when Madge touched his arm and looked up at him, Madge's eyes held an awe as she spoke with him. Everything about this should have bothered her, but it hadn't in the least. Because it was then that she came to the realization that while she loved Gale, she wasn't in love with him.

After the party, the two of them went home and Katniss slid into bed beside her best friend. Gale had already switched off the light and turned away from her. She looked at him with a little half-smile then turned over and for once, fell promptly to sleep.

On Saturday night, Gale took her out to dinner. She'd been putting off talking to him, but she couldn't any longer. She waited until after the sommelier poured their wine and the waiter had taken their orders.

"Gale, I've been thinking. You are my best friend. I think you feel about me the same way I feel about you. I love you and I know you love me but –"

"I'm not in love with you and you aren't in love with me," Gale finished.

Katniss grinned. "Exactly."

They both looked away from each other. Gale studied his wine glass as Katniss straightened out her napkin onto her lap.

"So what now?" Gale broke the silence.

"Well, you probably should move out but we can still remain best friends."

Gale nodded. "I think we can do that." They both laughed and breathed sighs of relief. They had fallen into habit for too long.

"Also, it wouldn't be a bad thing if we started looking for someone we can be in love with, but I think you may have already found her," suggested Katniss.

Gale looked puzzled.

"You have a connection with Madge. It's electric. It's okay to admit it now."

A broad smile spread across his face as Gale allowed himself to consider something previously unthinkable while he and Katniss had been tied. He would have never strayed while they were together because he did love her and would never want to hurt her.

Gale's eyes ducked down and when looked back at Katniss he gave her a sheepish grin. "I really do like her."

"Well then go after her," Katniss encouraged.

The waiter delivered their first course and they joked and talked as they hadn't in a very long time.

Late into the night, Katniss crawled out of bed, which she still shared with Gale for practicality's sake. She hadn't wanted Gale stuck on the couch, especially since she was often out there in the middle of the night. She snuck out of the bedroom into the living room and booted up her laptop.

_Dear Serene-Pilot,_

_I'm sorry it has taken me several days to respond. I will be honest in admitting that your e-mail was a bit tough to read because it required me to question myself. Something that was a long time coming. You are right. I've been living for other's expectations and dreams for years. This questioning has allowed me to make some decisions about my career and my life. I thank you for helping me do that._

_This week I also realized something else. I love my boyfriend because he is my best friend but I'm not in love with him. Luckily, he felt the exact same way. So he is moving out and we are both really great about it. If I'm honest, I think the fact that we've maintained a relationship when we weren't in love created a barrier for us. It was so much work to be together that we stopped talking. Once we admitted the truth, it was as if a dam broke and conversation poured out. My best friend is talking to me again._

_My Uncle Haymitch said something to me recently. He said, "We will all be alright." _

_I finally believe him._

_Your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Beginning of December**

Today was the day that Katniss was going to inform her friends of her decision. She had asked Annie, who had not been scheduled to work, and Haymitch to come in at 4pm for a store meeting. After they arrived and the last customer left the store, she flipped the sign from "Open" to "Closed" and posted a short note explaining that they were holding an employee meeting. Closing an hour early was not going to make a difference.

When she entered the café, she saw her staff, people who she considered more like family than employees, sitting around two tables that they had joined. They looked somber. Some met her eyes directly while the others studied their respective cups of coffee and tea. Someone had grabbed her coffee cup and filled it with the jasmine green tea she loved to drink in the afternoon.

Katniss took a steadying breath. "I'm sorry my friends but at the end of the year Everdeen's Apothecary and Natural Foods will open its doors for the last time. December 30th will be our last day of business."

"So it didn't fucking work?" Johanna mumbled.

"No, it didn't," Katniss answered. "I thank you all for helping me fight for this place. But no, it didn't work."

"It's because we didn't get the pharmacy business back, right?" Beetee asked.

"But the restaurant has been busier, and the store has been steady?" Annie inquired.

"Beetee is correct; the loss of the pharmacy business is part of it but not the whole story. Haymitch could probably explain it best."

She looked to her uncle and he nodded. "The café was busier but has always broken even, and while we've had a steady amount of customers in the store, they are buying less. If Katniss kept the business going as it is, we would have been bankrupt in another month or so," Haymitch explained.

Sae reached her gnarly, calloused hand across the table to pat Katniss' arm. "Girly, don't feel bad about this. You put up a hell of a fight and we all know it. This really isn't a surprise to any of us, is it?" The old woman looked around the table catching each person's eye.

The group voiced affirmatives.

Katniss' eyes misted and she forced a tight grin as she sniffed. Johanna got up from her spot at the table and walked around to pull Katniss into her arms. "Brainless, it's going to be alright for all of us." The woman rubbed her back as she soothed, "It's just a start to a new fucking adventure," which caused Katniss and everyone else to chuckle.

Katniss stepped away and sat back down, wiping at her eyes. "You guys are the best. I'm writing letters of recommendations for all of you! Please feel free to start looking for something else but if you could stay until the end of the month, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course, we'll stay until the close," Annie assured.

"Who wants to start a fuckin' new job in December anyway," added Johanna.

"I'll have to help all the customers transfer their prescriptions this month, so I'll definitely be here," Beetee answered.

"It shouldn't be a problem for me, Girly. It's about time I retired anyway. My granddaughter has been bugging me to move down near her," responded Sae.

"Thank you. We are going to conduct business as usual through Christmas Eve, which will be the last day the Café is open. Then we'll have a fire sale from December 26 through December 30 to sell off our remaining store inventory, the restaurant furniture, and the store fixtures. I anticipate the sale to be a busy four days as I'll advertise heavily in the Panem Times, as well as other papers in the region."

"Sounds like a good plan, Sweetheart," Haymitch complimented.

"Okay, everybody. Let's talk about something fun, like my annual Christmas party. It's the Saturday before Christmas. Let me know if you plan to bring someone so I can add his or her name to the Secret Santa gift exchange. Can some of you bring a few folding deck chairs to the party for additional seating?"

Annie said, "Sure, Finnick and I have several that –"

"Back up!" interrupted Johanna. "What happened to all your chairs?"

"Oh, Gale is moving out this weekend." Katniss shrugged, eliciting a series of concerned looks from her friends.

"Hey, guys! It's okay. Gale and I are better as best friends. We aren't in love with each other so he's getting his own place. He'll be at the party too and if he brings a friend, you can't give him a hard time. I've been bugging him to ask her out."

Haymitch chuckled as he took a swig from his flask. Katniss smiled at him. They understood each other.

She sat back as her friends started planning who would bring what to her party. She would miss seeing them every day.

An hour later people packed up to leave. Katniss and Haymitch were the last.

"Good job today. I think you made the right decision. Your parents would be proud of you."

Katniss walked up and hugged him. "I hope so."

"I'm glad you figured things out about Hawthorne. If you had headed to a church I'd have been forced to say something."

"It's been wrong for a long time. We love each other, but as best friends. We're family and we always will be."

"So what are you going to do once the store's closed?"

Katniss looked at the man who'd played the role as her mentor through the years. "I'm not sure quite yet, but I have some ideas. I'm still working on it."

She went home that evening to find that Gale had made her dinner, knowing that today was going to be rough. Afterward, Katniss spent a couple hours helping him pack up some of his belongings. She made a mental note to remember to bring home more produce boxes the next day. Gale had so many books. After Gale retired for the night, she fired up her computer and opened her e-mail.

_Hello Serene-Pilot,_

_Well, I did it today. I told my employees. I realize my last message had been cryptic in regards to my decision. I think I just wasn't quite ready to voice it yet. I am closing the store. Our last day will be December 30. Part of me is still very sad, but another part of me – the part that dreams – is feeling relief and a touch of happiness as I can now choose a new path. I don't know what is going to happen but I'm good with that._

_I've finally managed to fight through my writer's block. I expect to finish the next chapter tonight. If I'm not too tired, I'll finish initial revisions and send it over. Otherwise, expect it sometime tomorrow._

_Your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

She sent the e-mail and then opened up her current fic document. She was nearly done with the chapter, which started with Wash using his piloting skills to narrowly escape an attack by Reavers and ended with Zoe tearing his clothes off. She normally had a hard time depicting the intimate details of Zoe and Wash's sexy times, but for once, the scene just flowed.

Once finished, she did a read through of her draft and revised it until she felt satisfied, then e-mailed it to her beta. Katniss couldn't wait to get his feedback on the chapter. She'd found it quite handy to have a male perspective when she wrote love scenes. He kept her grounded in writing about reality versus unrealistic fantasy. He was also great at helping her inject humor into it.

In the morning, she checked her e-mail and found a short note.

_Good Morning Warrior-Woman,_

_I can only imagine how hard yesterday was for you, but I'm glad that you are allowing yourself to dream. I'm curious as to what those dreams may be. Perhaps one day you will choose to share them with me._

_I'm excited to read the new chapter. It may take a couple days for me to get to it since it's the beginning of the month when work is always the busiest due to reporting. _

_Your friend,_

_Serene-Pilot_

The following Sunday, Annie and Finnick came over to help Gale move. He had rented out one of the loft apartments in the textile mill redevelopment project. Most of Gale's belongings had been packed up earlier in the week, but Annie and Katniss finished what remained as the men loaded up the moving van. The group went and unloaded the goods at Gale's new place, which had tall windows, rough brick walls, and beautiful wood floors. As they were moving in, Gale explained that the brick on his interior walls was original brick from another building that had been on the site but there was insulation between the interior and exterior building façade to make the apartment energy efficient. The place really was beautiful. Gale's firm did a good an amazing job with the project.

After getting Gale settled, which involved Katniss unpacking the kitchen, Annie and Finnick dropped her off back at home. Feeling a bit antsy with having the place to herself, she decided to go for a run.

As she stopped to tighten her shoelaces, a familiar voice caused her to look up.

"You know, if you double-knot them they won't come undone."

She was surprised to run into Peeta again at the park. It wasn't even the same time of day as the last time she'd come here. Considering current events she couldn't believe he had the nerve to approach her, but part of her was happy for his company, as she'd rather not be alone. "I know, but I'm terrible at removing the knots later. I'll just slide the shoes off and I break down the backs so they wear out faster."

"Are you just starting your run?" he asked.

"Yes, you?"

"I am. Do you mind if I join you?"

Katniss knew she wasn't supposed to like him but the sincerity in his voice and the way he looked was so hopeful. She found herself saying, "Sure."

The two of them ran in companionable silence along the park trail that the circled the lake in their town's Central Park. After 30 minutes, they slowed to a walk.

"Katniss, I just have to say this once. I heard about the store and I'm sorry. I know how much that store meant to you."

She initially bristled but then took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'm sad, but I've had time to come to terms with it. It's going to allow me to do other things. Things I couldn't do while running the store."

"Do you know what you're going to do?"

"I have some ideas. I'm still working it out. I should go."

"Have a good evening, Katniss."

"You too."

After she made herself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner, negating all the calories she'd just burned on her run, she opened her e-mail and saw that Serene-Pilot had returned her chapter.

_Hello Warrior-Woman,_

_Here is your chapter and I have to say it was steaming. I found a few spots where there seemed to be continuity issues in the scene and noted it. Overall great chapter. I loved the callbacks to the series two-part pilot episode. In fact, I think I may rewatch it tonight._

_Your friend,_

_Serene-Pilot_

Katniss grinned as she read the message then formulated a response:

_Hello Serene-Pilot,_

_I hope you enjoy your rewatch tonight and I'm glad you liked the chapter. I should get the changes made and update my story tonight._

_It has been a busy weekend. I spent the day moving my ex-boyfriend out of my place. It's strangely silent. It echoes. Half of my bookshelves are now empty and the hideous black leather chairs that I hated are now gone, not to mention the big screen television, so now I am limited to rewatching Firefly on my laptop. I have a feeling that problem might be solved by my ex-boyfriend, who is still my best friend, for Christmas. _

_I hope you have a nice evening._

_Your friend,_

_Warrior-Woman_

Soon enough it was December 26, the first day of the fire sale. She'd had shared a nice holiday with Gale's family. He had purchased her a new TV, but it was smaller – the size she really wanted when they had originally went shopping for the big screen. He did know her well.

Everyone was bustling about helping customers as they shopped for bargains in the store. Sae and Haymitch were handling people who came in to inquire about the restaurant furniture and store fixtures. Beetee was packing up the remaining pharmaceuticals to ship back to the drug companies. They had transferred their last few prescriptions the previous week.

Beetee had nervously come to her right before Christmas wanting to talk. Mellark's had approached him, wanting to start a naturopathic consulting program. Panem's store would be the test store but eventually he would help the entire chain adopt the program if it worked. It was a great career opportunity for Beetee, so of course she gave him her blessing.

Johanna and Annie had also lined up new jobs, which they both were starting in a week. Upon hearing the news that Everdeen's was closing, several of Katniss' contacts in the downtown business community had reached out to them so they had a choice. Johanna was going to help manage another café and Annie was going to work for The Chocolate Bar, which was expanding to add a small retail shop that sold high-end chocolates and offered espresso to go.

Katniss had several offers to rent her space so the building was going to generate income for her, allowing her a degree of freedom she couldn't have anticipated. That, combined with her current savings and the occasional freelance writing job that Finnick offered to toss her way, was going to allow her to go after her dream. Everyone was moving on, including herself.

On December 30, she flipped the sign from "Open" to "Closed" one final time.

That evening she wrote to her beta on Tumblr.

_As this year ends, so does a chapter of my life. However, with endings come new beginnings. You asked me a while back what my dream was. My dream is to be a writer, which I already am with each word I write for my fics. Nevertheless, the closing of the store is allowing me to devote time to draft what I hope will be my first novel. _

_-Warrior-Woman_

The next morning she read his reply.

_I think that is wonderful. You are truly a talented writer. If you need a proofreader along the way, I'd love to help. Here is to new beginnings. I hope to have a few of my own this year._

_-Serene-Pilot_

By the end of January, Katniss had fallen into a routine. She spent the mornings revising her writing, ate lunch, wrote for a few hours in the afternoon – no revisions allowed—and finally read a new novel to keep things fresh. If she became stuck on her novel, then she worked on her fanfiction. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she'd go for a run at 5:30 in the evening where she would always "accidentally" run into Peeta who would join her. On Saturdays, she started to "accidentally" run into him for coffee too, where they would chat and visit.

The first Saturday she had seen him at the coffee shop, he had been sitting in the corner sketching.

"Hello. I didn't know you were an artist."

Peeta shrugged as he closed his sketchbook. "I'm not really."

"But you were drawing before I interrupted?" she asked.

"I don't really show people."

"Will you show me?"

He hesitated then handed over his sketchbook. Katniss flipped through it and saw sketches of people sitting in the shop, in the park, at his store. There was even some _Firefly _fanart.

"Peeta, these are really good."

"Really, you think so?"

"I do. Why don't you show people?"

He sighed. "My mom didn't really approve of me drawing as a kid. Over the years I just learned to keep it to myself. I do it now just to unwind."

There was much more to Peeta than she had initially thought. He wasn't just a handsome face who cared only about business. Little by little, she found herself enjoying the time she spent with him.

January turned into February and February eased into March. Katniss was making steady progress on her book. She had continued to correspond with her beta several days a week to bounce off ideas regarding the plot and characters. One evening, they were discussing over G-chat a subplot that was proving to be tricky. He had mostly listened while she talked through her issue, which she ultimately solved herself.

_Warrior-Woman: Thank you for listening. Somehow explaining my writing problems to you allows me to see the solution._

_Serene-Pilot: I'm glad I could be of service._

_Warrior-Woman: Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you._

_Serene-Pilot: You would've figured out something I'm sure…_

_Serene-Pilot: If I promise to be there, would you be up to trying to meet again? Maybe this Saturday?_

Katniss paused. She wanted to meet him, to give him another chance, but for some reason it made her nervous. After consideration, she typed her answer.

_Warrior-Woman: Okay. Would the afternoon work? I'm meeting someone in the morning._

_Serene-Pilot: Sure. How about you meet me by the fountain in Panem's Central Park at 2pm? Does that work?_

_Warrior-Woman: I can do that._

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


	9. Chapter Eight

**The next Saturday in March**

Katniss arrived at the coffee shop and saw that Peeta hadn't arrived yet. She ordered her medium non-fat cappuccino and requested a mug before she found a little table in the corner near the stone fireplace, and waited for the man who had become her friend over the past few months.

He arrived a few minutes later and joined her at the table after ordering his usual double Americano, and a lemon-blueberry galette. "Good Morning, Katniss. I hope you weren't waiting long."

Katniss blushed as she stammered, "No, I wasn't."

"So how was your week?"

"It was good. I've made a lot of progress on my novel. You?"

"The same. Beetee is amazing by the way."

"Yes, he is."

"He's redesigning our whole program on how we approach naturopathic care." Peeta took bite out of his galette. "These are almost as good as the ones my pops makes. So, what are you up to today?" He asked.

"After I leave here, I need to run by the grocery store. Then I'm meeting a friend this afternoon. Actually, it's the person I was supposed at The Chocolate Bar that one time," Katniss admitted.

"Oh, really. He's not going to stand you up again is he?"

"He isn't. He promised."

"How can you really know for sure that he isn't in fact some crazy?"

"Peeta, I've been talking to him for a year. I think if he was crazy, I would have figured it out by now."

"Well, just be careful. You're meeting somewhere public right?"

His concern for her wellbeing gave her a little thrill, which she wasn't sure she wanted to examine too closely. She and Peeta had truly become friends over the last couple of months. He was always encouraging when she discussed her book, patiently listening to her as she babbled about potential plot points and the nuances of character development. She had learned that he did have a real heart. He had a soft spot for animals; he often carried a small bag of peanuts in his pocket for feeding squirrels when they met to go run. Not to mention the obvious love he had for his cat, which oddly he just referred to as "cat." Not terribly original but there were worse things than being unimaginative over pet names. He also shipped Zoe and Wash as hard as she did. She laughed when he had joked that the movie was just an alternate universe and he refused to believe that the events in that film really happened. Then, there was his smile. A smile that still made her stomach flip-flop as it had the first time she saw him. Katniss definitely did _not_ want to examine her feelings to Peeta too closely. It just left her feeling confused when she also considered the growing connection she felt with her beta. Realizing she had been lost in her thoughts, she shook her head and answered, "Yes, we are meeting in a public spot. There should be plenty of people around. Especially since today is supposed to be a beautiful day."

"Good. So tell me more about how the novel is going."

They continued to visit. An hour later, they said their goodbyes and parted ways.

Katniss ran her weekend errands and then hurried home to eat lunch and get ready. Today felt like spring. It was supposed to be the first 60-degree day of the year. She exchanged the t-shirt she had worn earlier to a lightweight spring green sweater and changed from her jeans to a flowery chiffon skirt before slipping on ballet flats. She looked over her appearance in the mirror. She rarely wore skirts, but for some reason, today it just felt right.

At twenty to two in the afternoon, Katniss walked out of her house and toward the park. She made her way over the fountain and took a seat on one of the benches. Looking at her watch, she noticed that she was five minutes early. As 2pm approached, she began grow restless. She stood up and started looking around. There were children playing nearby with their parents. Couples were taking afternoon walks. A man threw a Frisbee for his dog to catch. She searched for a man walking by himself.

As she scanned the crowd again, she saw in the distance, a blond man walking toward her wearing what looked like an orange Hawaiian shirt, just as Wash would wear. He came closer and closer. When he was close enough to make out his features, she ceased breathing and her heart started to pound wildly in her chest. As he approached closer, now only a few feet away, she noticed he was holding a dandelion. The flower that most people considered a weed but representing hope for her had only started remaking their appearance in the last week or so. She took a big gulping breath as he tucked it behind her ear.

"It's you," Katniss said as she stared up into his blue eyes. "I'm so happy it's you." Katniss could feel tears beginning to form at the back of her eyes. "I wanted it to be you so badly."

Peeta pulled her into his arms and their lips finally met, brushing softly. Her mouth opened and their tongues touched, sliding against each other briefly before Peeta pulled back. Katniss looked up at him and bit her lip as she smiled, a tear finally falling down her cheek. He brushed it away.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he whispered.

Katniss shook her head and stood up on her tiptoes to meet his mouth again.

When they broke apart for the second time, he asked, "So what now?"

Katniss looked down at her feet, blushed, and then peered back up at him. She hoped he didn't think she was being too forward when she suggested hesitantly, "Let's go somewhere we can be alone. Maybe talk? Or something else?"

Peeta laughed. "I'm just across the street."

"Let's go!"

Peeta took her hand as they scampered their way through the park to his apartment nearby. When they reached his building, Peeta pulled her back into his arms to steal another kiss before entering the code to unlock the front door.

When they reached the first landing, Katniss pushed him up against the wall and kissed him fiercely. Peeta's hands cupped the cheeks of her ass, pulling her tightly to him as she moved against him.

He returned the favor when they hit the third landing. He turned her around so she was facing the wall as he kissed her neck and palmed her left breast. His right hand moved down to rub against her mound through her skirt.

Finally reaching the fourth floor, Peeta fished out his keys and unlocked the door to his apartment. A yowling Biscuit greeted them.

"Ignore him," Peeta said as he captured her lips again. They continued to kiss as he backed her down the hallway in his apartment to what she figured was his bedroom.

When they reached the room, Peeta shut the door behind them. Katniss helped him work the buttons of his shirt. Once he was free of it, he tugged at her sweater and pulled it over her head.

Peeta backed her toward his bed. When the back of her knees hit the edge, she hopped up onto the mattress, lying back as he followed, hovering over her. Peeta's lips moved from her mouth to her jaw, then to a place just below her ear that made her keen. He pulled back for a moment to look at her and smile. He murmured, "I'll have to remember that spot."

He then kissed the tip of her nose before moving back to her neck. He nipped, suckled, and lathed his way down to her collarbone and along her shoulder before was making his way to the tops of her breasts.

Suddenly they both heard the worst yowl, followed by persistent clawing at the door causing Peeta to pause and pull back. He closed his eyes and muttered, "Oh shit."

Katniss looked at him perplexed.

Peeta groaned. "I was so nervous this morning I forgot to feed him." He moved away from her. "Don't move. Stay exactly where you are. I'll be right back." Katniss giggled as he walked out of the room, shifting himself uncomfortably in his pants.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Katniss shimmied out of her skirt and unhooked her bra, leaving her only in a sea-green colored bit of lace. She lay back in the bed and waited.

Moments later, Peeta returned and shut the door behind him. Noticing the discarded clothes on the floor, his gaze moved to the bed where he admired her and she lounged against the pillows. He shook his head playfully. "You disobeyed orders, Warrior-Woman. What am I going to do with you?"

Katniss laughed. "I don't know but I'd like to find out."

He worked his belt buckle and the fly to his khaki pants, kicking them off as he walked back to the bed, leaving him only in black boxer-briefs that were noticeably strained at the front.

His lips met hers once more. As their tongues tangled, his hand drifted along the edge of her lace panties. Then he dipped beneath the fabric and brushed his fingers through her slick folds.

"You're so wet."

Katniss moaned, arching into his hand as he circled her sensitive nub. She reached down and cupped his length as she moved her lips along his strong jawline and up to his ear. "Enough. We've had a year of foreplay."

Peeta pulled away and smiled down at her before easing her panties down her legs. She then helped him remove his underwear. He reached over to his bedside table and opened a drawer, grabbing a condom. He tore open the package and was about to put it on when she stilled his hand.

"No let me." He handed it to her and grinned.

Katniss pushed him back down onto the bed. She licked her hand and then ran it up and down his length, swirling the bit of pre-cum that had collected along his head.

He groaned. "I thought you said you'd had enough foreplay."

She laughed as she rolled the condom over him. Then Katniss straddled his hips, positioning him at her entrance. She looked into his eyes and they shared a small smile before she took him inside her. She moved against him as his hands reached up to grip her hips. They quickly found a steady rhythm.

As she rode him, she reached down to massage her clit and his eyes widened. She picked up the pace and quickly found completion, the flutter of her orgasm triggering his. She carefully removed herself and then the condom.

He gave her a slow, lazy kiss as he took the condom from her and told her he'd be right back.

Upon his return from the bathroom, he pulled her into his arms.

"Peeta. This seems like a dream. Real or not real?"

"Definitely real." He tipped her chin up, coaxing her to look up at him. "Katniss, you have to know that I'm in love with you."

She smiled. "That's good, because I'm in love with you too."

They lay in bed for the rest of the afternoon, talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. They made love once more – slowly the second time. That night, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, Katniss thought that if anyone had asked her a year ago what she wanted, she would have never thought of this. But sometimes life gives people what they really need.

_You can't always get what you want  
But if you try sometimes well you might find  
You get what you need – The Rolling Stones_

* * *

**A/N:**

"**I wanted it to be you so badly" is a direct quote from You've Got Mail. I love that moment in the film.**

**In my head canon modern AU Katniss and Peeta will forever disagree on the Stones/Beatles debate. Katniss is a Rolling Stones fan.**

**A/N:**

**Thank you very much to Pookieh for being an amazing beta. She turned around this story so fast and I'm grateful.**

**If you'd like more information about my fanfiction please visit my tumblr: dispatchesfromdistrict7**

**The characters are the property of the amazing Suzanne Collins and do not belong to me. I occasionally weave lines from her novels. Those totally belong to Ms. Collins too.**

**As I mentioned the plot is inspired by the movie You've Got Mail so I credit the creators of that film for the story idea – which I've adapted to modern times and Everlark.**


End file.
